❓ The Minister outlines the benefits of extending fee-free TAFE, particularly in construction, highlighting a partnership with the federal government to address skills shortages and boost housing supply. The initiative aims to provide accessible training and secure long-term employment opportunities for Western Australians.
AnsweredQoN 814Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TAFE FEE-FREE COURSES
814. Mr M.J. FOLKARD to the Minister for Training and
Workforce Development
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
ongoing commitment to delivering quality vocational training in WA.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how the
extension of fee-free TAFE will benefit Western Australians?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this expansion will complement the government's
efforts to boost the pipeline of skilled workers and get more homes built here
for Western Australians?
814. Mr M.J. FOLKARD to the Minister for Training and
Workforce Development
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
ongoing commitment to delivering quality vocational training in WA.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how the
extension of fee-free TAFE will benefit Western Australians?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this expansion will complement the government's
efforts to boost the pipeline of skilled workers and get more homes built here
for Western Australians?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) It gives me great pleasure to talk about the issues
that the member has outlined. The Cook government is joining with the
Albanese federal Labor government to lay the foundations—lay the
foundations, members—for tomorrow's construction workforce. It
is a bad joke when you have to explain it a few times for people to pick it up!
The SPEAKER : Not even the
member for Landsdale looked up!
Ms S.F. McGURK : This morning I was with the member for
Burns Beach, along with the Premier, the federal Minister for Skills and
Training and the local federal member, Tracey Roberts, at the Clarkson campus
of North Metro TAFE to announce the federal government's commitment to
another $9.4 million in fee-free training for Western Australian construction
workers. It is fantastic. This will deliver 2 149 fee-free places, all in
building and construction. That will include 540 pre-apprenticeship places in
seven new skill areas. They will be completely free for people; largely, it
will be young people, but it could be anyone wanting to do their certificate II
and try out what those construction trades mean for them. It is really great to
see.
We
met a couple of young people, Jasmine and Jordan, who are a couple; they were
doing some of that early skilled work there. The Premier did a good job
of laying a brick and working with a trowel. It was good that I ended up with some concrete on my pants. I was standing a little
way back. They were doing some bricklaying and the Premier tried it out.
It was really good to hear that both Jasmine and Jordan have picked up
apprenticeships. They are going to be
tilers. That is one of the areas in demand now in housing supply, so it is
great to see and we wish them all the best. They are a great young couple.
I want to draw the house's
attention to what people would have paid under the previous government for
training in some of these skill areas. A certificate II or a pre-apprenticeship
in electrotechnology would have cost $1 800 and
under us and under this current announcement by the federal government it is
free. A plumbing pre-apprenticeship would have cost $1 542 under the
previous government. Now it is free. Bricklaying and blocklaying would have
cost $1 200; painting and decorating, $1 200; and wall and floor tiling, $1 200.
All those are now completely free because of this announcement by the Albanese
Government. Importantly, it is through the federal government's
partnership with our government that we have the five-year skills agreement,
fee-free TAFE across many different skill areas and, of course, Lower Fees,
Local Skills, to the point that last year we had a record number of people in
government-subsidised vocational training courses. It really is fantastic to
see.
There is huge demand for building
and construction trades because of not only housing, but also commercial and
infrastructure work that is being done across the board. We know that defence
skills are going to be in big demand. We know with the energy transition, there
is such a long horizon of work for which we will need skilled employees that
people can have confidence that if they take up these trades, they will not
only get interesting and well-paid work, but also have work for many, many years
to come. As I said today at the announcement, we could not send a clearer message to the WA community that we want
them to do this sort of work than by offering fee-free training . I am very pleased to be part of a Cook Labor
government that is investing in our future and our present and in young people and people who want a career change. Building and construction is very
important, as are many other skill areas as well, so I am glad to be partnering
with the Albanese government to that end.
that the member has outlined. The Cook government is joining with the
Albanese federal Labor government to lay the foundations—lay the
foundations, members—for tomorrow's construction workforce. It
is a bad joke when you have to explain it a few times for people to pick it up!
The SPEAKER : Not even the
member for Landsdale looked up!
Ms S.F. McGURK : This morning I was with the member for
Burns Beach, along with the Premier, the federal Minister for Skills and
Training and the local federal member, Tracey Roberts, at the Clarkson campus
of North Metro TAFE to announce the federal government's commitment to
another $9.4 million in fee-free training for Western Australian construction
workers. It is fantastic. This will deliver 2 149 fee-free places, all in
building and construction. That will include 540 pre-apprenticeship places in
seven new skill areas. They will be completely free for people; largely, it
will be young people, but it could be anyone wanting to do their certificate II
and try out what those construction trades mean for them. It is really great to
see.
We
met a couple of young people, Jasmine and Jordan, who are a couple; they were
doing some of that early skilled work there. The Premier did a good job
of laying a brick and working with a trowel. It was good that I ended up with some concrete on my pants. I was standing a little
way back. They were doing some bricklaying and the Premier tried it out.
It was really good to hear that both Jasmine and Jordan have picked up
apprenticeships. They are going to be
tilers. That is one of the areas in demand now in housing supply, so it is
great to see and we wish them all the best. They are a great young couple.
I want to draw the house's
attention to what people would have paid under the previous government for
training in some of these skill areas. A certificate II or a pre-apprenticeship
in electrotechnology would have cost $1 800 and
under us and under this current announcement by the federal government it is
free. A plumbing pre-apprenticeship would have cost $1 542 under the
previous government. Now it is free. Bricklaying and blocklaying would have
cost $1 200; painting and decorating, $1 200; and wall and floor tiling, $1 200.
All those are now completely free because of this announcement by the Albanese
Government. Importantly, it is through the federal government's
partnership with our government that we have the five-year skills agreement,
fee-free TAFE across many different skill areas and, of course, Lower Fees,
Local Skills, to the point that last year we had a record number of people in
government-subsidised vocational training courses. It really is fantastic to
see.
There is huge demand for building
and construction trades because of not only housing, but also commercial and
infrastructure work that is being done across the board. We know that defence
skills are going to be in big demand. We know with the energy transition, there
is such a long horizon of work for which we will need skilled employees that
people can have confidence that if they take up these trades, they will not
only get interesting and well-paid work, but also have work for many, many years
to come. As I said today at the announcement, we could not send a clearer message to the WA community that we want
them to do this sort of work than by offering fee-free training . I am very pleased to be part of a Cook Labor
government that is investing in our future and our present and in young people and people who want a career change. Building and construction is very
important, as are many other skill areas as well, so I am glad to be partnering
with the Albanese government to that end.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.